


The Comedian

by TheSphinxDen



Category: Tron: Uprising
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-08
Updated: 2013-07-08
Packaged: 2017-12-18 03:33:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/875137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSphinxDen/pseuds/TheSphinxDen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zed thinks he's a pretty funny dude. Hopefully the insane commander thinks the same.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Comedian

It was pretty simple; in Zed’s mind, he was hilarious. His jokes were prime meat and others just didn’t have a care to laugh at their brilliance. But the simple fact was most programs found his sense of humor annoying. Mara rolled her eyes as Zed cracked an inappropriate line about how Bits were made. 

"Have you ever thought that, uh well, your jokes aren’t really that funny?" she hissed from under the lightcycle she was repairing. 

"No." Zed shrugged his shoulders and sported his usual, smug grin. Mara loved Zed to death, but damnit. He was a little glitch sometimes. “I just don’t think people appreciate them." 

Mara huffed, and there was a clanging sound from under the exposed code of the machine. 

"Zed." 

She rolled herself out, hair a slight mess and protective armor covered in code-grease. 

"You’re not funny." 

Zed’s face twitched. He slumped and tried to protest, but Mara held up a swift hand. 

"Aaah-aap! No. Stop. I’m trying to work and here you are, cracking half wit jokes. Seriously Zed? Able isn’t here and Pavel will kill me if I don’t finish my quota by the end of this cycle." 

Zed’s hands played with the repair tool in his hands. He didn’t respond, only frowned. 

"Zed…I’m sorry." Mara sighed, but the damage was already done. She ran a gloved hand through her dishelvled hair. Zed leaned back, his posture unable to hide how offended he truly was. 

"It’s fine." he began to move out of Mara’s work space. She watched him, half regretting her words. He would get over it, she told herself as she rolled back under the naked lightcycle. Soon enough, he’ll be back in her station, trying to make her laugh at something stupid. 

*** 

Unfortunately for the garage, Pavel was still in control. His mood was surprisingly non-psychotic this cycle, and he mostly stayed inside the office away from the repair floor and out of most program’s hair. His uncharacteristic reclusiveness eased tension on the floor, and even the guards patrolling felt less worried about a sudden derezzolution. 

"If they keep up the pace, there shouldn’t be an issue." the commander growled as he lounged in Able’s chair. The sentry nodded and exited the room, leaving Pavel to play on his data pad. He dragged his finger along the transparent surface, piloting a tiny simulated light jet through an obstacle course of colored blocks. 

He was distracted from the sudden sound of laughter outside the office. Scowling, he placed his pad down and stepped outside. Two sentries were flanking one program, who had them doubled over with laughter. Pavel’s eyes widened and for a moment he just stared, trying to understand what was happening. 

"That’s what I told my friend, but she didn’t find it funny." Zed shrugged, but his face was smug and clearly proud that he had made two stone cold sentries laugh. 

"What’s going on here, program?" Pavel advanced forward, and that smile quickly faded. The sentries stiffened and stood at attention, no longer daring to giggle in the presence of their insane commander. 

"Uuuh…" Zed stammered. He didn’t have a good track record with Pavel. Once his mouth almost got him personally derezzed. 

"Go on. Please. Do enlighten me to what you were telling my guards. It surely must have been most hilarious." Pavel’s tone was venomous now. He glared at the sentries, who cringed and avoided eye contact. 

"Uuuh, well I…I was just telling a joke." 

"Well, if you took time out of your shift to tell these two, then surely you can tell me." Pavel’s eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. Oh boy, Zed thought. He was going to be derezzed this time, for sure. 

"Okay, okay. So get this." 

Zed set up the joke and delivered. He cringed and new Pavel would undock his disk, and run it through his neck for his stupidity. 

But, something amazing happened. 

Pavel’s head flew back and he roared with laughter. Every program in the shop stopped to stare in amazement, fear, and confusion. Pavel grasped his stomach and balanced himself. The two sentries exchanged glances with Zed, then with themselves. Pavel’s laughter came out in breathy gasps. Someone on the floor dropped a tool and it made a loud clang. 

"Oh, brilliant!" the commander wiped tears from his eyes and clamped Zed’s shoulder hard. “You’re quite the comedian, young Zed. I have to thank you for that. I haven’t laughed that hard in many, many cycles. True laughter." He smiled, and for once it was pleasant. Not the hideous, evil grin that he was used to seeing. Zed rubbed the back of his neck and was flush was surprise. And relief. His entire code shuttered with gratitude. For once, his dumb joke was successful. 

Pavel made his way back to the office, but not before offering Zed to stop by if he had a new line. 

"Yeah. I will. Don’t you worry." he slipped away to his station, still not quite believing what had transpired. Mara’s head peered from around his lightcycle. 

"Wow. What was that?" 

"I told him a joke." 

"The same one…?" 

"Yeah." Zed glanced up at her, and for a moment, considered to not gloat about his small victory. But damn it. He smiled that same, shitty smile again. “Guess he thought I was pretty funny." 

Mara rolled her eyes. “Maybe this one time." she teased. “But next time, I don’t think you’ll be so lucky."


End file.
